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By Walter Broeckx
Seeing the game live has a special appeal but seeing the game again on TV gives the complete picture. And as I am mostly only seeing the game on TV I will add a few thoughts on the things I have noticed in the stadium during my visit for the Villa game.
I have already talked about Szczesny but I have to bring him up because I have noticed that when we get the time we adopt a tactical when he is going to kick the ball. Sagna moves up the right wing close to Theo and then Szczesny punts the ball towards the right back. Sagna is good at timing his jump and then it is important to get the second ball. Theo is close of course and mostly a midfielder or RVP comes close to try to start the attack. Sagna is an immense player for Arsenal and since his come back to really being fit and sharp we have also seen Theo Walcott improving a lot.
The Koscielny injury was a big blow for all of us at first. This just shows you what a wonderful player we have once again discovered thanks to our scouting network. I wonder where the laughers and abuse shouters are from the start of last season when we bought this frail looking Frenck centre back with no PL experience and why we didn’t go for a Cahill or Samba at the double of the price. Well once again they have found that if not Arsène himself but our scouting network sure does know. I recall a certain website someone putting his worst Arsenal XI down and writing the name of Koscielny down 11 times. Well I think he exposed himself there as a real expert.
What more can we say about Vermaelen. Another Koscielny one might say. Does anyone remember the outrage from some part of the fans when we bought him (and not …..). He was too small. Being from Belgium? No experience, no … well how on earth could he be any good. Well by now we know how good he actually is.
Gibbs was quality for me in his attacking game. But still a few things he must keep an eye on and not rushing forward too blindly. But with all the injuries he has had to overcome and not being a natural left back I think he is a great option over there.
I was also lucky to see the come back of Santos. One moment I even called him Roberto Carlos last Saturday but that was due to tiredness I think. He was lucky with one of his first touches when he gave the ball away and suddenly Villa looked threatening. But after that moment he just carried on and slotted in at left back without any problem. Running up and down his flank as if he never has been away. And I really do think that Given was expecting Santos to take the free kick in the extra time and thus was surprised by the Arteta kick.
In midfield we have Arteta and the amazing thing is that he is always having some space. No matter where he is on the field he (almost) always turns to a side where he can find more space. I once read that he has the highest successful passing rate of the EPL. He is always very calm but when it is needed he doesn’t hesitate to make a foul to stop the opponents.
If we look at Song I must refer again to a certain blog. As we noted in the piece on M’Vila for years they have been campaigning about how bad Song was. And how he never would be any good enough at all to even come close to wearing a shirt. He shouoldn’t even be allowed to buy one in the Armoury. That bad he was. Again I can only come to the conclusion that this person on that website knows somewhat less than zero about football. I would like to think by now he must feel really dumb, but I suspect he just parks his nonsense comments in a part of his brain labelled “forget” and carries on.
Song is not a defensive midfielder as most people look at defensive midfielders. In fact I don’t think we have a defensive midfielder at Arsenal. We have complete midfielders and Song is one of the most complete midfielders we have.
When Rosicky started to play well again a few months ago and then signed a 2 year extension to his contract some fans said that he only played well to earn his new contract and that it would end soon. Well I think our oldest player on the field is running around like a fresh young one for the moment even with this new contract already signed a few weeks ago. You can see the enjoyment he has in his game. His body language is great to see. I really think that he must be a very happy man for the moment. Finally injury free and what a great player we have rediscovered. The sometimes ridiculized phrase from Wenger “He will be like a new signing” suddenly isn’t that stupid anymore.
Gervinho has said on Arsenal.com that he is getting back to his best. And I think he is right. I think he was really deflated after the African Nations Cup. Missing the fatal penalty for your country can be a big blow. And it can kill your confidence. But with Gervinho contributing to the first goal and maybe even more importantly also doing a great job when tracking back at times is very well. In a way we should be glad he didn’t start like Chamakh did, because Chamakh had a great start and then completely disappeared. Gervinho had a mixed start with great and some not that great games. But I think he will adapt better to the PL than Chamakh.
I’m not going to say anything about RVP. Expect maybe ask him when he will score another goal. A bid of bad luck in the last two games when it came to scoring but his all around game and presence is so important for Arsenal. Another world class player made by Arsène Wenger who cost £2.75 million.
Like I said since the come back from Sagna we have seen a much improved Walcott. This just shows how important it is to have your wing backs fit. You can lose one but you cannot lose them all. Since Sagna is there Theo looks a different player. Okay sometimes Theo can be frustrating. But if you look at his goals and assists he is one of the top players in the whole PL.
If you look at those players, they are good enough to beat any team in the PL. And then we still have Ramsey who will become a great player. When Wenger believes in you like he does in Ramsey he knows what he is doing. Don’t worry, let the master teacher do his job – and once Ramsey finds the calmness to put the chances away he is getting he will bang in some 10-15 goals every season. He just needs a chance to grow in to his role. Don’t forget the injury he had to overcome and he still is very very young. And for those who still doubt Wenger and his judgement and who think that Ferguson is a far better coach: Utd even announced Ramsey as a new signing only to find out that Wenger snapped him under their nose. He has the talent, the technique, the engine and he will become a massive player for Arsenal.
And then we still have The Ox… what a massive player he will be in the future. And Jack when he will be completely fit next season… what a massive player he was already before his injury.
I really do wonder how things would have gone if only we would have had half of the our full backs available during the season. I really do think we would have been in there with a shout at the title. But we do get injuries, and then more injuries, so we have to expect them, which is why we need to keep brining new players through.
But even so if only we would have had half of the our full backs available during the season… And then I even wouldn’t want to mention the referees….
————————————————————————
Ref Reviews: Arsenal v Aston Villa. Phil Dowd gives a master class; Liverpool v Everton – he’s ok here too.
This summer’s signings: M’Vila
Next season’s upgrades: Who will come back from loan and play for us?
The history: The trophies, ballroom dancing, left hook and OBE
Do you want to win the title or any trophy soon? This team is good enough to beat any team in the league. Most of this team is a year removed from beating Barcelona. The talent to win games is not questioned. The talent to bring home trophies and have the depth and top level talent to be the best in England over 38 games is still not there.
I remember the debate about Vermaelen’s heught at the time… some saying he was a ‘6 footer’ other’s 5’10 or 5’11. It was not looked on positively at the time, I think most comments were ‘neutral’
Good website this… Always interesting
Thanks Walter. You echo a lot of my thoughts I mentioned in a previous article.
I agree with almost everything…and yes we also have bought Thomas Eisfeld already as insurance. Fingers crossed…he can play a little next season and give Wilshere/Ramsey a break when needed.
And we need I think 1 wide forward if Chamakh and Park both go. If they stay and AW trusts them then no we don’t need anyone. I think they will go though.
Great job Walter. I’m not sure if we really need any big names as long as we can keep our current players, we might need few good subs but no really big name player would want to be just fringe player.
Oh I remember this story about summer when Ramsey was looking for new club. I think it was Liverpool, ManU and Arsenal after him. Liverpool manager showed him around the club, Fergie flew from his holiday to show the boy around his club then Arsene…No he did not bother going back to London to meet that young boy he just said “Give him ticket and put him on plane” Wenger was at Euro Cup and met Ramsey there.
Arvind – There’s Ozgazup and Gnabry as well, who could be ahead of Eisfeld. All look like quality young players, from what I’ve seen.
You must be misguided to think NOT! We need 3 solid players then get rid of all those collectors items we call team members.
This team has just been winning on confidence and has shown how weak the premier league is this season! Dont be fooled my dear in thinking that we do not need to buy. Liverpool, Spurs, Man City, Man U and the likes of Everton will be strenghtening their squads ready for another go and you want us to go with what we’ve got? Who at best could only be described as mediocre when compared against the likes of Real Madrids of this world. We do not only want Arsenal to win the domestic cups but the European cup as well! So stop giving Mr Wenger ideas not to go and spend. Thank you
Eisfeld? Pardon my ignorance, he`s a rocket scientist….right?
Do we need to sign more players in the summer? Well yes, if we`re serious about challenging for the title and competeing in Europe, but that doesn`t mean buying a swag of players. One striker (Podolski) maybe strengthen the defence even more with a lump of insurance by way of Vertonghen.
Other than that just reduce the wages bill.
Our first eleven ist very strong – what we lack sometimes is strenghth in depth. That’s why we need maybe two to three signings (Preferences: Podolski, M’Vila).
I am really afraid of the time AR starts banging goals left, right and centre… The world’ll be wiped clean of celebrities, ladies and gentlemen! Apart from that, i like him as a Wenger finding.
spot on. we need a clear out rather than big names so that the young ones who are far away from making first team can at least become fringe plyers for now. players like afobe or aneke, i mean, who should come in for chamakh
My only concern is that if R.V.P is injuried then we have no equal substition. If Wenger could manage to get Podolski I’m totally satisfied with our squad for the next season. Someone may ask for a back up goalkeeper but I think Fabianski is good enough for standing between our goal posts.
I long for the Summer Window, when all this silly speculation will end and the real buying and selling will begin.
The media is only partially to blame for the fairy stories going around, as they wish to sell newspapers or attract viwers and listeners. There is no excuse however for some of the comments from fans, which, in the main, are nothing short of wishful thinking.
The trouble is, though, that no sooner does the Window close, than the speculation begins all over again. Grrrrh 😳
YES! We need to sign players because we need to clearout the players who aren’t making the grade. The question should be “who do we need to replace Squillaci, Diaby, Almunia, Fabianski, Denilson, Arshavin (maybe), Bendtner, Vela, Chamakh and Park” because we need some top quality squad players to replace them. As good as our youth are/will be it would be extremely naive to promote 10 youth players and expect them ALL to hit the ground running and perform consistantly in their first season. We need a mixture of promoted and experienced players to compliment each other and also to help with the team development and actually give us a chance of competing at the top.
what is this guy on. Gervinho is rubbish we cant rely on the ox for the whole season, so we nned someone there. What happens when song gets injured we have no one who is expeirianced enough to take his place, what happens when we have no left backs and vermelean.
I am desperatly hoping that the podolski rumours arent true, he’s simply not good enough for our team. From what i hear falcoa could be available due to the fact that athletico is in a huge amount of debt in tax. I would like to see munain come to arsenal, a perfect alternative to gotze.
M’villa or javi martinez will be great additions to the midfield, a trio of song m’villa or martinez and wilshire would dominate the midfield of barcalona once we are beating them, which i dont see as a problem especially aftyer seeing the barca defence let milan have some good opportunities at goal.
The need for a striker is clear, Robin has been exceptional both in standard of play and fitness this season but his past record suggests that this season has been the exception so we should have backup. Where we would be without him doesnt bear thinking about.
Also would like a defensive minded midfielder,attacking wise I think we are fine but an extra body to help out winning the ball back would be nice.
Keeping wise we’re grand, if Fabby stays I’d be happy with him as a backup.
Hopefully we wont have a run of injuries at the back like we did this season ever again!
The only signing needed is a striker and Podolski fits the bill nicely. Apart from that I honestly believe we are all good. We also get Ryo coming back and I have high hopes for that kid. And to see jack back again will be a massive boost, he could be THE midfielder of this generation, I like the Ox too but Jack is special.
Of course we need to strtengthen come the summer, BUT not as much as the clueless hacks who inhabit Sly Sports hideous Sunday Slurry (Supplement) think we do.
We have been wrecked by injuries again, so some quality in depth squad players wouldnt go amiss.
We may well need an old keeper to cover for Szczesny as I think Almunia is 100% off and Fabianski may well ask for a loan (I think he should too BTW. Kids like Gnabry are no where ready and Ozzyakup should go on loan along with Miquel the spanish CB.
Francis Coquelin will be a monster for us next season!
Next season will be awesome, we must finish the job and grab 3rd…
I would happily take the field with this as our 2nd team
Mannone
jenkinson mertesacker vertonghen gibbs
Wilshire ramsey
chamberlain diaby ryo
podolski
assuming this is the 1st team
szcesney
sagna koscielny vermaelen santos
song arteta
walcott rosicky gervinho
Van persie
dom
You clearly are a plastic ‘fan’ arent you? Do you actually watch this team play?
Stick to fantasy manager.
BTW arent you late for school?
You think we will lose TV, KG and AS at left back again? And the names you throw around are the ones spewed out by the media and swallowed whole by low brow blogs, like the one you need to return to.
I think we definately need a new striker, and podolski is that striker!
apart from that we are good, although a versatile defender wouldn’t go amiss.
U re right bt i bliv we stil nid 3 to 4quality players which i guez podolski,martinez/m’vila,vertonghen nd giroud wil field d bil
i do love it when i hear the defense on Ramsey because what you said is exactly what i want to say and i share the same opinion i don’t get it how they criticize him and why ? and to be honest as long as we have Wenger i am sure the team is @ good hands. some fans ( call themselves fans) were asking for Mourinho !!!! Hell no i say i would never ever dare comparing a true cavalier a great manager with an arrogant , show off silly manager like mourinho . but honestly i suggest we sign 1 St , 1 Md & 1 Defender just because our luck with injuries but if we were sure all our players will be fit i wouldn’t buy because we have an amazing talented players now 😀
@BC
You have placed Wilshere in your 2nd team!!!! I do not agree
Are you being serious bc?
The majority of that second string will leave Arsenal, because, they will not be playing week in week out.
That is the problem with buying players as high calibre as Mertesacker, and, Podolski.
It would be great to have two players that are as good as each other in every position so there is no drop if either player comes in to replace the other, but, when either player isn’t getting game time the club will have to pay both players man city wages to keep them at the club, and, that cannot continue at any club.
Keepers: schezny, KEEPER
Defenders: sagna, verm, kos, gibbs, VERT, santos, jenkinson, Mert, Djourou.
Centre Mids: wlishere, ramsey, arteta, rosicky, diaby, song,
Wingers: Walcott, ryo, Gervinho, OX
Strikers: RVP, PODOLSKI,
THATS 23 PLAYERS YOU WOULD EXPECT TO DEFINATLEY BE IN THE SQUAD SO THERE IS SPACE FOR 2 MORE. WENGER WILL PROMOTE 2 FOR SURE FROM THE YOUTH TEAM THAT LEAVES ROOM FOR 0 MORE transfers. I REALLY DO BELEIVE THAT NEXT YEAR WITH WILSHERE, RAMSEY, WALCOTT, SONG, RVP, VERMINATOR ETC WE WILL REALLY CHALLENGE. ARE PLAYERS HAVE TAKEN BIG STRIDES THIS PAST 3 MONTHS AND IF THEY CONTINUE IN THAT VAIN I CAN SEE GREAT THINGS FROM THIS SIDE. LIVERPOOL, CHELSEA, MAN UTD ARE ALL IN DECLINE AND ITS A FACT THEY ARE AGING AND NOT THE TEAMS THEY WERE, THOSE TEAMS ARE BEING HELD TOGETHER BY EITHER THEIR MANAGERS OR A FEW KEY PLAYERS. GERRARD, FERGUSON, ETC. LOOK AT THOSE TEAMS FROM FRONT TO BACK WHICH ONES WOULD GET IN THE ARSENAL 4-5-1 AND TEAM?
RVP VS ROONEY VS SUAREZ VS TORRES
VERM VS FERDINAND VS CARRAGHER VS TERRY
SAGNA VS RAFEAL VS KELLY VS BOSINGWA
KOS VS EVANS VS SKERTAL VS CAHILL
SONG VS CARRICK VS RAMIRES VS ADAM
WALCOTT VS VALENCIA VS MATA VS HENDERSON
SCHEZNY VS DE GEA VS REINA VS CHECH
GIBBS VS EVRA VS COLE VS ENRIQUE
GIGGS VS WILSHERE VS LAMPARD VS GERRARD
NANI VS OX/GERVINHO VS STURRIDGE VS DOWNING
ARTETA VS WELBECK VS KUYT VS KALOU
WINNERS-SAGNA, RVP, VERM, CAHILL, SONG, MATA, SCHEZNY, COLE, GERRARD, NANI, ARTETA
It’s not only Wilshere who he has got completely wrong Sam
We need 1 back up goalkeeper
2 back up Centre Halves
1 left back
1 winger
3 centre forwards
I remember when Tony Adams slated the Vermaelen siging because he’d seen him when he was coaching in the Dutch league and felt he was too small and not good enough… Tony Adams is a legend but I hope he never manages Arsenal.
Walter
I believe Mikel Arteta is second in the league, behind Yaya Toure, in both total passes and successful passes. Not bad for an old boy who is past his best! (joke).
Just a quick word on this subject, Swansea City have the third player in this section, Leon Britton. Swansea also have the top two most successful defensive passers in the league plus their goalkeeper has the most successful pass rate of any EPL keeper. Very impressive stuff from the Premier League new boys, big respect to the football playing Swans.
Back to your question, do we really need to buy any new players this summer? I think YES but only 1 or 2 maximum. Lukas Podolski fits the bill perfectly for Me, he is ready made, strong, fast and with an eye for goal (16 for Cologne already this season and 43 in 95 games for Germany).
@ EIE how come ? we might sell Fabianski bcz he will ask for it and Almunia promote a youth or Get back manone . 2 CB ? why ? Per- Djourou – Vermaelen- Koscienly ??? we might need Vertonghen cover LB & CB why buying 3 players where you can buy 1 ? anyway even If Vertonghen come there will be rotation which will increase challenge within the team in a healthy way he can even rest Song for some games :D. 1 Winger & 3 Cf ? Loool you have explosive players : Walcott – Gervinho- RVP – OX- Myaichi and the only new comer will be Podolski . Be a Gooner man and believe in your team we don’t need that amount of players 2 or 3 quality will be more than enough
@ Tasos my respect man 🙂
@ONdGunner and other plastic fans, stick to what you know and leave important decisions people who know what they are doing. Wenger makes mistake like any other manager, but I would rather trust him to look after our club than anyone else. Walter B is absolutely spot on. We now have most of our major players back (with Wilshere, Metersacker & possibly Diaby to come) so we only require about 2 or 3 new faces (striker, midfield, defence) to take this team to the next level. I trust Arsene to identify who and manage that more than any plastic fan or media twat who has no real love for this club.
IN ARSENE WE TRUST
@ Shevo lovely to have fans like you lol my respect to you as well 😛
BTW on the goalkeeping front. Arsenal already have another good young keeper coming through their ranks, Damian Martinez.
Promoted to the reserves this season he has conceded only once in his last five matches. Martinez has also been called up by the full Argentine national squad recently. A name to note.
Somebody at Arsenal must have Untold in their favourites. This article is already listed in the Arsenal Media Watch.
I have always believed that scoring goals has never been a problem…it’s only in games where our defence commits harakiri and then the downhill slide begins! Podolski is already a done deal by the look of it…he is a big name signing and they do add that little something to the club but more than that I think Vertoghnen is essential. Imagine a situation (and God forbid…plzz plzz plzz), if both Kosc and Vermaelen are out injured! Djourou is far from a finished article and that only leaves the German as an option!!! Common guys…and I think Wenger will do what he does best, by publicly admitting his love for Hazard, he has started a bidding war between clubs…and he will discreetly go and buy who he wants. But we all know that just big names count for nothing and when it comes to spotting talent and getting a great deal is there anyone better than the lord!
To do the maths on a squad of 25 players:
3 goalkeepers: Sczcesny, Fabianski, Manone
+ 8 defenders: Verm, Kosc, Met, JD, Santos, Gibbs, Sagna, Jenks
+ 8 midfielders: Arteta, Song, Wilshere, Ramsey, Rocisky,Coquelin, Frimpong, Diaby
+ 6 attacking players: RVP, Theo, Gerv, Ox, Miyachi (maybe), Podolski (maybe)
= 25 players
So yes (assuming we buy Podolski), i do not think we will by buy more players unless we sell some of the above and i think this team is good enough to win some trophies (if we get lucky with injuries).
ANd once again Arsenal.com media watch directs here (So Tony they do read this site).
I was wondering (and being lazy) if we don’t sell any of our non-homegrown players how many of them can we buy (I think we are close to limit now)?
How can u lot think all we need is a striker, we need vetongen or m’villa, we need a creating midfielder with flair like younes belhanda, and podolski, then if we get injuries at the back song can drop back and m’villa can cover him or we can play 2 def mods to tighten up the game when necessary, also get ride of chamach, bendner sqilatchi vela and possibly djourou and arsharvin
@DarthWenger
I agree with the majority to what you say but I feel we may require a quality ATM (that doesn’t mean he needs to be extorniately priced) with possibly Frimpong or Diaby going on out on loan for the season to recover from injuries and get a sustained period of games, for example, Diaby could join a french team (Lorient) for a 6 month loan and arsene could review him afterwards.
The reasoning IMO for an ATM is that we need to allow for an injury to Rosicky during next season and as much as I’d like to be, I am not fully convinced by Rambo in that position. I also hypothesise that Rambo could be a very accomplished player in the arteta role and could cover for that position as well.
Nevertheless, I am getting more optimistic for next season all the time and I love this blog and Arsenal.
Sir, You forget Diaby – Yes he has not played for a long time, yes he is injury prone, yes blah blah blah.. But if he is fit and plays a succession of games he will be a midfielder of a different class. You just wait.
On the issue of 25 players it really should be remembered that the club does not have to put forward a list of 25. Normally it puts forward a list of 40 odd – and indeed if you look at the back page of any programme you will see Arsenal nominates a huge squad.
The reason is that clubs can supplement squad with unlimited number of players under the age of 21. Some of the players being mentioned in the 25 total are indeed under 21.
And that’s before we think about the “home grown” issue.
Personally yes we do need to make signings.
But only quality ones, not squad fillers!
Get rid of Squillaci, Arshavin, Almunia, Bendtner, Park, Chamakh, Vela and Denilson. Save a wedge on wages!
Sign Podolski up front, M’Vila in midfield and Vertonghan at the back and things will look good for 2012/13 in my opinion.
Oh yes and if there is a few quid spare Eden Hazard might be worth a look 😉
Had to share this, Phil Dowd at his scariest: http://i.imgur.com/JbJus.gif
3 signings. And we all pretty much know who we want, well those of us that go to the games. Podolski, M’villa and Vertoghen. That’s it. No arguments, no £40 million Hazards. Two of them want to come here, and it seems Podolski is as good as ours. AA, Denilson, Park, Chamakh, Almunia and Squid can all go to make room.
We only need to buy striker. One experience stiker and maybe another inexperience but young and good.
In last recent weeks Theo shows good progress, 1 or 2 season, he will play in striker position.
So we can play:
— Song — Jack/Arteta
Ox/Gervinho/Ryo — Robin — Poldi
——- Theo ———
Phil,
Looks like his inner Vampirella has emerged!
Vertonghen and Podolski would be plenty.
Walter you forgot to mention Diaby, the most talented player on the Arsenal roster. We just hope and pray he can get healthy again and do a Rosicky for us. Remember Arsene is now wrong often when he spots talent in a player.
wow…dis is top stuff….dis site realy hit d spot….all i tink we need is a defender, a midfielder & an attacker, any more dan dis wud get us into wat mancini had to go tru wit tevez or adebayor…we cant hav so much top players on d bench, & it wud be hard for any player to break into dis current arsenal 1st 11.
Back to the 25 issue. Here is our 25 list for the current season.
1. Manuel Almunia,
2. Andrey Arshavin,
3. Mikel Arteta,
4. Yossi Benayoun,
5. Marouane Chamakh,
6. Abou Diaby,
7. Johan Djourou,
8. Lukasz Fabianski,
9. Gervinho,
10. Kieran Gibbs,
11. Laurent Koscielny,
12. Vito Mannone,
13. Per Mertesacker,
14. Chu-Young Park,
15. Tomas Rosicky,
16. Bacary Sagna,
17. Andre Santos,
18. Alex Song,
19. Sebastien Squillaci,
20. Robin Van Persie,
21. Thomas Vermaelen
22. Theo Walcott
Those aged under 21 are not included, and there is the issue of the home grown. But leaving the complexities aside, assuming there will be a summer clear out there should be quite a bit of space for anyone we want to buy, and anyone who is under 21 this year but not next season.
The squad is probably just shy of a couple of good shooters. By that I mean the ability to shoot at goal and score from a distance. This is a technique that seems to be lacking in our coaching methods. The likes of Roberto Carlos, Ronaldo and Messi are not any different in terms of physical capability. They have a superior talent in manipulating the ball. This is something that can be coached and any footballer, including those Sunday League players are capable of improving this technique.
This season, Arteta scored one and RVP has scored a few but any of our players can score from a free kick if they are coached correctly. Technique is a combination of understanding basic physics, trajectory and the ability of using the leverage of the body. Balance, fitness and timing are already part of our players, that is why they are a class apart. Technique will make them another undefeated squad.
It’s amazing how everyone wants M’vila in arsenal because the media hypes him, have you forgotton they did so to Felipe Melo,thank God we didn’t buy him…I feel Coquelin(he’s had a complete season in Lorient, don’t forget that) is a better DM and also a versatile player….We need Podolski, we have to sell Djourou and get Vertoghen…FINISH
Menace,
We have the man to do the coaching – Arteta himself.
This summer I would like Arsenal to buy magic which will bring back Diaby and Jack to their full fitness. Also, a bit of magic that will make Rosicky 5 years younger.
I bet that people who want M’Villa and Vertonghen so badly dont know the clubs these two are playing for and never seen a game of these players.
Amazing how media can brainwash people…at least give an argument why we need these players.
Tony, anyone,
If another team cannot be found to take one of our unwanted player-contracts, can that player be declared formally dropped (permanently deactivated as a non-performing contract, so to speak) from our squad (whilst continuing to pay the contract) and thereby reduce the number of players on our squad? (probably not, but I ask it for clarification)
I would like Denilson to come back… and show what an amazing player he is!
i for one dont understand why are people crying for m’villa is he really worth the cash? We have song (you know the one who was not fit to wear the shirt?) who is far better player than m’villa imo and dont forget about coquelin who is an exceptional talent and will become a star for us..same goes to verthongten why should we pay top pound for him while we have per,TV and Kos?dont forget bartley and miquel…squillaci can gtfo..
LOL
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/columns/story/_/id/1041734/hubbard:-liverpool%27s-flawed-four?cc=4716
Hey, if we can get Dirk Kuyt under 8 M, that was good bargaining.
He will be good backup, he has lot of EPL experience, Holland international, he was experienced player, stupid Pool!
I agree with quite a few of you with regards to the strength of our current squad and where we need additional players.
In my opinion I believe 1 forward as a better back up for van p is essential (hopefully podolski is that player) chamack will see the exit door open, park will stay and rightly so as he hasnt been given a chance.
Why do we need another LB – we have 2, plus cover in the form of TV or dip into the reserves/youth.
A CB is needed though, Squillaci will leave and DJ aint good enough although i cant see him leaving.
GK’s = Scez + fab + Mannone (almunia will leave)
RB = Sagna , Jenkinson (DJ backup???)
LB = Gibbs, Santos (TV backup)
CB = TV, LK, PM + one decent(not convinced with vertogen) + DJ + Miguel
CM = Ramsey, Wilshere, Arteta, Song, Diaby, Rosicky, Coquelin + Frim when he returns from long lay off. ( thats a very good midfield (only 3 spaces up for grabs in current system – any of those 3 would work for me)
Wingers – Theo, Gerviniho, Ryo (looks quality for bolton so far) and the Ox
Up top – RVP, Park , Podolski(hopefully) and Afobe as he will be giving his shot next year. If it wasnt for his long injury this season he would of broke in.
Also yes there are a few good youngsters coming through who have yet to really break into team and will prob have to be breed in the carling cup again.
I think that Wenger will get the striker he wants and I believe he will make a move for another midfielder as wilshere and diaby will be returning from long injuries and may have to take time with. I also believe he will look at the centre half position as injuries cost us to much (i look back to the fulham away game where we had miguel squill and dj all playing)
Starting 11 for next season will be pretty much the same as this.
Scez
Sagna Verm, Kos, Gibbs
Arteta, Song
Theo, 1 from rosicky/ramsey/wilshere, ox/gerviniho
RVP
Subs from – Fab, Jenk, Santos, (1 centre back), ryo, podolski, park, diaby, coquelin, Afobe and those above who wont start.
Yes we do! My reasoning is that the current Arsenal squad is need more balance and 4 top quality players will produce that. It is said that it takes iron to sharpen iron. Meaning for the younger players in the squad to reach their full potential, they need to rub shoulders with players of a higher caliber.
In regards to the fringe CB’s, I believe to develop both Iggy Miguels and Bartley’s chance of suceeding at Arsenal both players need to go on loan for at least another season (if not two) to gain EPL experience or la liga for iggy’s case.
It is important that they also play regularly for each team they play for (not like Bartley’s current situation at rangers).
Therefore, it might make sense to retain Squid for another season cuz it just makes sense
henry, you’re so right!
people who haven’t even seen m’vila play are screaming for him. the felipe melo case a great example of how the media can make players seem better than they are.
thank god we didn’t spend 15m on a flop like melo. we stuck to our guns and got a world-class song out of it!
henry, you’re so right!
people who haven’t even seen m’vila play are screaming for him. the felipe melo case a great example of how the media can make players seem better than they are.
thank god we didn’t spend 15m on a flop like melo. we stuck to our guns and got a world-class song out of it!
So after all of my wondering why Park hasn’t gotten more games this year, I stumbled across an article on goal.com (a grain of wheat amongst mounds of chaff) about the controversy he is facing in trying to postpone his mandatory military service for South Korea.
Normally, men are expected to enlist at a younger age, but Park has obtained a 10-year residency permit in Monaco, and hopes to finish his football career before joining up. This has stirred a media firestorm back home, even as he continues to turn out for the national side.
So I think that, given the personal life distraction, Wenger is trying not to put too much added pressure on him this year. Hopefully once it is resolved, he will be able to settle into the EPL.
Chamakh, meanwhile, seems completely bereft of confidence. If the Poldo rumors are true, I would not be surprised to see Bendtner sold and Chamakh playing in Ligue 1 either loaned or moved outright.
Bob…
If a player is not wanted by the club, but is under contract and still has shall we say a year of his contract to go, he does not have to be put in the 25, so in that sense he is “de-activated”.
The club’s disadvantage is that they still have to pay him. The player’s problem is that the longer he doesn’t play for, the lower down the scale of things he slips, so the harder it is for him to get another playing job anywhere near his previous level.
So both sides have a reason for him to move. He might go on loan, with Arsenal offering to pay half the salary for example, just to cut costs.
He might take a move even with a big salary drop, just to get some games and start climbing the ladder again.
So with a player like Almunia for example, if he is told by Wenger that he is not going to be in the 25, both the club and the player has every reason to find an accommodation.
The club might even say that they will pay him for half the season, but declare him a free agent, so he is effectively detached from the club, and can sign for another team outside of the transfer window. (Unattached players can move more easily than transfer players).
All sorts of deals can be done because being outside the 25 is in no one’s interest, unless you are a young player aiming to get into the squad.
Shevo: You must be a Spurs fan. Even ex-players like Adams, Keown, Wright, Dixon, Petit, Pires and the list goes on want us to get in at least 3 more quality players. You are the plastic fan if you want us to go through another season what we went through at the beginning of the present one! I have been a fan since 1974 and a club member; hence it gives me every right to demand strength in depth with quality for Arsenal football Club. Have we ever really replaced the likes of Cesc and Samir? Absolutely NOT!! And you want us to make do with the same team? Go and support your team Spurs and get out of Arsenal!!
Ha Ha yeah …Felipe Melo.. the one that got away. I vote we do a comparison of what Denilson did in that whole season with Melo’s stats. Just like what Desigunner did with Scott Parker (and Denilson was largely better).
Anyone remember that guy Lorik Cana? He was another rumored awesome prospect that we missed on and AW got called names for…
In fact really..after Makelele … I haven’t heard of a single super great DM who we’d want to form 17M on. I’d rather save it up for a super super class player. Or pay back the debt really if Le Boss doesn’t want anyone : ). And really..why would you even NEED a DM..when you have a system which might be far far superior and fluid…which looks like its working?
If Song stays we don’t need a DM…maybe even if he doesn’t..who knows? Coq/Frimpong might step in and do great. Who knows? Hope he does stay though.
@OnDGooner: Yeah yeah, those ex-players want at least 3 more superstars to this team, and you have every right in the world. Could you please tell me where the heck will we squeeze those 3 new superstars in, or even what the heck roles of them? (striker, striker and striker?) And who the hell are Cesc and Na$ri, because I just don’t remember them?
You have the right to demand whatever you want, reasonable or not, and I have the right to be happy with our current players, who are absolutely amazing and who love this club so much. When we win the trophies next season with them, I won’t mind you celebrating, though. Not a bit.
Arsenal squad withot transfers in 2012/2013( contracts according to transfermarket, but not only)
Name / End of Contract/ f(oreign), h(omegrown) y(outh)
Almunia 2012 f-> wil be released
Benayoun 2012 f -> end of loan
Arshavin 2013 f
Squillaci 2013 f
Van Persie 2013 f
Walcott 2013 h
Miquel 2013 y
Frimpong 2013 y
Fabianski 2014 f
Chamakh 2014 f
Gibbs 2014 h
Koscielny 2014 f
Mannone 2014 h
Rosicky 2014 f
Sagna 2014 f
Song 2014 h
Szczęsny 2014 h
Arteta 2015 f
Diaby 2015 f
Djourou 2015 h
Gervinho 2015 f
Mertesacker 2015 f
Park 2015 f
Santos 2015 f
Vermaelen 2015 f
Jenkinson 2015 y
Coquelin 2015 y
Ramsey 2016 h
Wilshere 2016 y
Oxlade-Chamberlain 2017 y
some loaned players:
Murphy 2012 h-> will be released
Botehlo 2013 f-> last chance to sell
Afobe 2013 y
Bendtner 2014 h-> want to go away
Lansbury 2014 h-> too big rivals, will not succeed
Vela 2015 h
Denilson 2015 h- want to go away
Miyaichi 2015 y
Campbell 2015 y
Silva 2016 y
If Chamakh and Squilacci will be sold, only 13 foreign players will be in squad+7 homegrown. Many places for loanees and some new transfers.
ok, first things first. 1 rvp must stay, along with song and yes walcott.
then stop dissing Djourou. no hes not as good as kos t.v or per. but hes a squad player dc who did a hard job fairly well but at the end of the day dc just isnt dr so cut him some slack. personally i think his tackles are too heavy for either role and should be moved to dm along with song.
next 3 worlc class players? ok so gk/striker/creative mid or dm, who u think we can improve on then Van Persie yess we need 1 more to go with him but world class mid center means dropping song or arteta ox or walcott to the 2nd spot or bench. songs doing great and walcotts finding feet finally. ox we cant over play but hes doing great and arteta was and is a bargin. gk maybe an older 1 to tutor SZcezney but 1 season only maybe 2. id say get podolski and or preferably or Huntelaar. and id like to see hulk aswell but arsen knows best so faith. personally i think Chamakh needs to go, maybe park( if its the scandle at home then keep, if its that hes a bit crap get rid, vela can either go or get right up there with van persie and work him till he gets good. iff bolton stay up, reloan myachi 1 last time. if enough is offered for djourou then seel, but hes not allowed to be cheap. hes utility. selling eboue was a disaster
Arsene usually brings in about 5 new players over a summer, Not all first team ready, but thats a rough average. My personal feelings toward transfers are “If you have to buy, then there is something missing from your youth set up”.
@arvind hahaha i remember cana really well..the way he was super hyped you would think he was a super duper player but the fact that sunderland sold him after one season says a lot about him
I likes this discussion, yeah, I always like posting in this site.
Every year Arsene always surprissed us with his signings, our scouting teams always can find “unknown” players. I bet next summer Arsene again will buy the players that we are not expected.
But, go ahead with discussion like this, discussion like this will make this site and Arsenal fans grow bigger and bigger.
and ofcourse there was felipe melo the one who caused an outcry for buying him..the missing piece of the puzzle,the one who would make us winners again bla bla bla and the abuse wenger got for not buying him was just too vile..i wonder how many of them want him now
For me I think we only really need a couple of players. Another top striker and with the Podolski deal looking like its done that that sorted. I would also like to see cover for right back, I know we have Jenkinson but I see him more as cover for CB ratherthyan RB.Another midfielder would be nice but not really essential. If we manage to get rid of Arshavin, Denillson, Pants Down B52,Chamakh,Vella andf to be honest Park, and Benayoun (sp?) can go back to Chelsea then we have space and money for an attacking midfileder. Frimpong, Song,Rosicky, Diaby and Arteta take care of the centre of the park and you add Ramsey and Wiltshire to that. Gervinho, WAlcott, The OXhandl;e the wings although Ramsey and a couple of the others can do a job there also.
I absolutely agree with everything but even more so with the comments about Sagna. I am a big fan of his and ever since he is joined Arsenal, i think the team isn’t complete unless Sagna is on the pitch. Luv Arsenal..
I think Arsenal should let Squillaci,Djourou,Chamakh,Denilson,Park,Bendtner,Benayoun,Arshavingo and bring in Podolski,Joel Campbell,Vertoghen etc.The midfield will have Diaby and wishere added to it next season.We need quality and not quantity.
I’d sell this lot for this terrible ” performance”, –
http://www.talksport.co.uk/magazine/virals/120328/footballs-funniest-homemade-music-videos-hart-rio-shearer-wilshire-and-s-168109
Check out the first video and watch our boys really blow it -well as far as singing goes !
Wenger’s opinion on C.Henderson (20 yr old who got injured against Cologne in pre-season)
“He has recovered from that and I believe he is a very good player. Hopefully he will show that now in the coming months, especially in pre-season this year.”
Could indicate that Wenger see’s him as a squad player for next season and he would not have to be included in the 25 named squad because he’s under 20
Great synopsis, as usual.
I have actually thought about this at length, especially after the Milan game when we had no one to come in at the 65-70 min mark.
Our starting 11 is great, especially now that the new signings have bedded in. AW knows he needs a complement of a strong bench to complete the squad. But anyone who pretends to know what the squad needs is just another keyboard manager, only Arsene knows.
I will not compare M’Villa to Melo(who never impressed at ?Genoa before transfer to Juventus). If Squilacci, Bendtner, Denilson, Chamakh and Vela can be moved on(as they contribute nothing now), they can be replaced with other players for the squad.
Apparently Arshavin got in a car accident yesterday in St.Petersburg. Nobody was hurt, and he managed to get a grapefruit from a passing tram driver.
http://foreign.peacefmonline.com/sports/201203/105088.php
We need:
One 5star utility forward;
One 5star utility defender;
One 5star back-up keeper; and
pls sell diably & juru…these two always provide the weak link to the team…always got the shivers when they are on the pitch
Koscielny is good -yes- but the other centre back bought at the same time was certainly not a success.
When you only quote Wenger’s successes you create a misleading impression- there also is a long line of unsuccessful defensive purchases- and I don’t need to spell them out.. Fact is it took Koscielny at least 12 months before he developed the strength to compete in the EPL. Have you forgotten Birmingham ? I like him too but would also have like a Samba or Cahill- because our penalty box defending still has quite a lot of room for improvement- as we saw last weekend.
Whether we have a strong enough squad or not largely depends on your ambition- for me, it is not a strong enough squad to enter 4 competitions with a reasonable chance of winning them. Playing 3 times per week for periods of the season requires top level replacements-too many of our second string are or rather have been underachievers or inconsistent.
If saving money from the sale of our 2 best players last year is the priority and a Carling or FA cup is all you aspire to then with another striker it might be strong enough- then don’t be surprised if we don’t achieve the ECL next year.
We could do with Vertonghen and M’vila- and yes I have seen them play a fair bit and I do think they look very useful players and are in the right age group- but they are by no means the only good players out there – Newcastle have showed that.
In my very humble opinion:
Part of the unknown is Robin’s fate; I am relatively confident that, as the captain and leader, he will have access to the 2012-2013 and beyond masterplan: who comes in and who goes out, so he can decide to sign a new contract; if he does not like it, he may decide to move on outside the EPL; if he stays, we can assume a significant “bonus” to pay his agent and a new wage structure, which is needed anyway, as we have too many players on the roster, possibly driving some of them to question their allegiance to AFC or soften their motivation.
Song and Walcott will most probably stay on, particularly if Robin stays with the club. Several other contracts may need to be re-written if the wage structure hopefully changes; nothing is worse than an underpaid professional when you see other players that contribute very little being apparently overpaid.
First teamers are obvious: the two Polish goalkeepers, the four current lateral defenders, the four current center backs, the starting and backup-midfielders (Song / Arteta / Rosicky / Ramsey / Wilshere / Diaby / Frimpong / Coquelin) and the attacking crew (Robin, Walcott, the Ox, Gervinho).
The need for loaned players is unlikely to persist as we will have injured players back and loaned players back as well: Miyaichi, Lansbury (who is a fighter and should get a chance), and possibly a few others.
It is not likely that Arshavin, Chamakh, Park, Vela, or Bendtner stay on or come back; the reason is that they were not efficient in front of the goal, and the team needs to be; this may be due to style of play or position, or team formation.
This is why Lucas Podolski makes sense: he can score and he can combine, even though he is not a prolific assist provider.
Jan Vertonghen also makes sense; when was it that an Ajax Amsterdam player did not adapt to the Arsenal style of play? Players like him may fare poorly at any of the other top EPL teams, but AFC is perfect for him as he is for us.
I am less convinced about Yann M’Vila, but who knows? My feeling is that, after Euro 2012, he will be over-priced.
Overall, a list of 25 will include at least two “major” signings, with Lucas Podolski and Jan Vertoghen on my wish list; the latter, in my opinion, may get a lot of playing time with the Per Mertesacker injury situation always a threat, and with the need for an experienced player to cover for Song or to pair with Song in special situations. As to Podolski, he will allow team formation to be changed, even in the middle of a game, a tactic that may be used in the future when AC is facing teams that expect our current 4-3-3 version all the time.
I also expect “la surprise du chef” from AW; last year, it was the unexpected signing of Arteta; this year, who knows but him?
I forgot to mention Don Vito as third goalkeeper.
Ray from Norfolk (Virginia)
yes we need more and don’t ever ask a question like this again,the current squad is shy 4 silverware.